For the purposes of the next exhibition, ‘Pods, Portals & Thresholds’, Derek Sprawson imagines ‘Mrs Rick’s Cupboard’ assuming a shrine like quality; a place of pilgrimage that visitors need to seek out, a quest. He responds to the notion that the site is a portal; a magical space into which he [...]]]>

For the purposes of the next exhibition, ‘Pods, Portals & Thresholds’, Derek Sprawson imagines ‘Mrs Rick’s Cupboard’ assuming a shrine like quality; a place of pilgrimage that visitors need to seek out, a quest. He responds to the notion that the site is a portal; a magical space into which he has inserted numerous pod-like objects/paintings each functioning as an individual threshold.
The work installed within the space makes for a latent experience. This is an enclosure, an awkward refuge; it offers security yet infiltration, belonging as well as isolation. The paintings proffer a paradoxical impression of substance and transparency, vulnerability and absurdity. A waxy blend of oil paint washed or dipped – a tidemark; or the scuffed, indistinct burr of oil paint brushed straight from the tube. The ova shaped supports elicit a notion of pods often with holes to fathom. They populate ‘Mrs Rick’s Cupboard’ with a comedic presence seemingly tangible and distinct as if they could be probed or entered. The surfaces seduce but there is an underlying ugliness in some of these objects, whilst others appear ephemeral and breezy. An unlikely display, possibly in the style of a household’s best china; an eccentric collection of curiosities framed by mute, black felt to cushion or protect these oddities. This is a portal for the senses, elusive and nascent.

Derek Sprawson is an artist based in Southwell, UK.
Recent exhibitions include : ‘Regrouping’ Workstation, Sheffield & x-church, Gainsborough (2012), ‘Erase & Rewind’ Refectory Gallery, Nottingham (2011), ‘Pile’ Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff (2011) and Surface Gallery, Nottingham (2010), ‘Closely Held Secrets’, Bonington Gallery, Nottingham, (2010), ’20,000 Saints’ (solo), All Saints Church, Laughton, Lincolnshire as part of the West Lindley Open Churches Festival (2010) and ‘14 installations’, Swedenborg Institute, London (2010)

Open every Friday from 11 – 2pm until July 5th

PRIMARY artists break out from their studios and occupy our public spaces, some great pieces to explore.Open for the ArtNot First Thursday on May 2nd from 3 – 9pm..come and see what we have been up to and enjoy some tasty ‘le pain a la main’ goodies to.

The exhibition features [...]]]>

PRIMARY artists break out from their studios and occupy our public spaces, some great pieces to explore.Open for the ArtNot First Thursday on May 2nd from 3 – 9pm..come and see what we have been up to and enjoy some tasty ‘le pain a la main’ goodies to.

The exhibition features a piece from each of the following artists and groups. Frank Abbott, Georgina Barney, Rebecca Beinart, Wayne Burrows, Belen Cerezo, Nadim Chaudry, Craig Fisher, Rebecca Gamble, Tom Godfrey, Mik Godley, Hatch, Chie Hosaka, Rachel Jacobs, Joff + Ollie, Frank Kent, Rebecca Lee, Chris Lewis-Jones, Lauren O’ Grady, Michael Pinchbeck, Yelena Popova, Simon Raven, Reactor, Rhiannon Slade, Debra Swann, Tether , Simon Withers.

Primary Spring Break will kick off a regular and ongoing series of public exhibitions including Old Skool Breaks -where pairs of Primary artists exhibit together in the public spaces. A well planned harmony? an aesthetic clash? or a re-mastering of expectations? Primary will invite discussion around each show.

Black Audio Film Collective, The Last Angel of History. Courtesy of the artists and LUX

In association with John Akomfrah’s exhibition at New Art Exchange, Resident PRIMARY artists Tether are presenting a screening of Black Audio Film Collective’s The Last Angel of History here in PRIMARY. The film is an engaging [...]]]>

Black Audio Film Collective, The Last Angel of History. Courtesy of the artists and LUX

In association with John Akomfrah’s exhibition at New Art Exchange, Resident PRIMARY artists Tether are presenting a screening of Black Audio Film Collective’s The Last Angel of History here in PRIMARY. The film is an engaging and searing examination of the hitherto unexplored relationships between Pan-African culture, science fiction, intergalactic travel, and rapidly progressing computer technology. The film is one of the most influential video-essays of the 1990s, influencing filmmakers and many artists alike.

Venue- PRIMARY, 33 Seely Road, Nottingham from 7.30pm, The screening will begin at 8pm and will be followed by an informal discussion and drinks.
Admission: £4.50 (£3 concession).

Please be aware that places are limited. To book in advance please call New Art Exchange on 0115 924 8630.

Saturday 18th May, 20:00
Reactor Halls E04
Studio A2, Primary, 33 Seely Road, Nottingham NG7 1NU
£2 on the door
http://reactor.org.uk/blog/reactor-halls-e04

Terry’s Back Passage is a no holds barred open-mic-style session compèred by Eǝrth Rod. You are personally invited to come and do a skit [...]]]>

Saturday 18th May, 20:00
Reactor Halls E04
Studio A2, Primary, 33 Seely Road, Nottingham NG7 1NU
£2 on the door
http://reactor.org.uk/blog/reactor-halls-e04

Terry’s Back Passage is a no holds barred open-mic-style session compèred by Eǝrth Rod. You are personally invited to come and do a skit or just enjoy the show. Any new or old skit is welcome (e.g. humor, music, physical theatre). Skits must be no longer than 15 minutes. If you want a slot, call or text the skit hotline.

We will provide a basic set-up of stage, mic & amp, lights, seating and a licensed bar, so please bring anything else you may require.

Hope to see you there,
Eǝrth Rod
078555 63063

AV Festival has created an archive online of all their festivals from the pilot edition in 2003 to the last edition in 2012. This includes the Broadcast Festival 2008 where Active Ingredient were commissioned to make a new artwork as part of the Broadcast Yourself exhibition at Hatton Gallery, Newcastle and Cornerhouse, Manchester. To [...]]]>

AV Festival has created an archive online of all their festivals from the pilot edition in 2003 to the last edition in 2012. This includes the Broadcast Festival 2008 where Active Ingredient were commissioned to make a new artwork as part of the Broadcast Yourself exhibition at Hatton Gallery, Newcastle and Cornerhouse, Manchester. To see the work and exhibition visit the archive:

AV Festival 08: Broadcast
Thu 28 February 2008 – Sat 8 March 2008
http://www.avfestival.co.uk/programme/2008/events-exhibitions/various-artists-broadcast-yourself

Image credit: Broadcast Yourself, 2008. Photo: Louise Hepworth. Courtesy of AV Festival 08

Primary resident artists Bélen Cerezo and Rebecca Lee, with Geoff Diego Litherland, Eva Marín and Rosaria Montero are presenting work with the Broadcaster project in Lincolnshire.

The Broadcaster project consists of two permanent notice boards located outside converted Chapels in villages in rural Lincolnshire; Waddington and Wellingore. Each notice board is [...]]]>

Primary resident artists Bélen Cerezo and Rebecca Lee, with Geoff Diego Litherland, Eva Marín and Rosaria Montero are presenting work with the Broadcaster project in Lincolnshire.

The Broadcaster project consists of two permanent notice boards located outside converted Chapels in villages in rural Lincolnshire; Waddington and Wellingore. Each notice board is a venue for exhibitions curated by the Postmethodists

In the project, entitled Appropriated Instructions, the artists will explore the concept of instruction and examine its potential for giving us new understandings of our daily lives and routines. Can some very everyday instructions become a creative tactic to intervene or navigate in the everyday? Can a so connoted exhibiting space as a church board offer any room to present rules as a form of disruption?

Appropriated Instructions involves five artists whose work includes sound, photography, painting and performance. Initial individual ideas will be developed, challenged and distilled through conversation, collaborative workshops and visits together to the area.
Appropriated Instructions runs from 23 March – 23 September 2013, with content that changes once a month. The programme will include activities like walks, or other events facilitated by the artists to generate further connections and engagement opportunities beyond the boards themselves.

Read more about Appropriated Instructions on the website
http://appropriatedinstructions.wordpress.com

Read more about the Broadcaster Project on the Post Methodists’ website http://www.postmethodists.org

Read more about each artist by following the links below
http://belencerezo.wordpress.com
http://www.geoffdiegolitherland.com
http://rebeccalee.info
http://www.evamarin.net
http://www.rmp.cl

Image credit: Appropriated Instructions, photos by Belen Cerezo and Danica Maier

DISPLAY / Open Call to Fine art students at NTU & Nottingham University

Display is a series of five cases dispersed among the public areas in Primary.
Artists can apply to Primary to present work in all five cases for a period of six weeks.
Primary is inviting NTU [...]]]>

DISPLAY / Open Call to Fine art students at NTU & Nottingham University

Display is a series of five cases dispersed among the public areas in Primary.
Artists can apply to Primary to present work in all five cases for a period of six weeks.
Primary is inviting NTU and Nottingham University Fine Art students to apply.

Applications to consist of the following:
Outline proposal 300 words (max)
5 images (jpegs) no larger than 1mb each
Dates for installing and de-installing will be decided after selection.

Apply to exhibit in Display:
Receiving Applications: Primary has four quarterly deadlines
February 1^st / May 1^st / August 1^st / November 1st
Applications: Please send to Primary no more than two weeks in advance of each deadline.
Primary will select 2 artists to show in Display from each round of submissions.

Please send applications to the Primary Display Curator Simon Withers here.

For full details on the dimensions of cases and further information, click here.

Alan Davey, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, and Laura Dyer, Arts Council England Area Executive Director, Midlands and South West were among the fifty specially invited guests of the Baring Foundation book launch of “Winter Fires” – François Matarasso’s new book featuring seventeen commissioned iPad portraits by resident PRIMARY artist [...]]]>

Alan Davey, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, and Laura Dyer, Arts Council England Area Executive Director, Midlands and South West were among the fifty specially invited guests of the Baring Foundation book launch of “Winter Fires” – François Matarasso’s new book featuring seventeen commissioned iPad portraits by resident PRIMARY artist Mik Godley titled “Winter Fires”. Winter Fires is not merely a meditation on “late style,” but about the complex relationships between creativity and agency in later life. Jason Danely, Rhode Island College, Anthropology, and Editor-in-Chief, Anthropology and Aging Quarterly, USA was thrilled to showcase some of the work in Anthropology and Aging Quarterly. “Ever since I saw Godley’s portraits, they have been lingering in my mind. He does with portraiture what a good ethnographer does with writing.” Mik has also been asked by a hospital in Christchurch, New Zealand if they might use a couple of images for a non-profit staff training flyer: “We would love to incorporate your remarkable pictures, and hope that you would be able to give us permission”

A “play-back” video of creation of some of the iPad drawings was screened throughout the launch event and can now be viewed on his YouTube channel click here: –

The book is available from the Baring Foundation or as a download from this link: -

Mik is also currently available for commission – to see his blog about portraiture, and much, much more click here

Kite flying is an important part of Afghanistan culture, popularly known as the Gudiparan bazi. Kites are viewed as things of beauty and kite fights are an exhilarating sight to behold. International Artist, doctoral researcher and PRIMARY resident Rhiannon Slade [...]]]>
Image: Freedom in Air
Image credit: Clare Harris, Freedom in Air, 2012

Kite flying is an important part of Afghanistan culture, popularly known as the Gudiparan bazi. Kites are viewed as things of beauty and kite fights are an exhilarating sight to behold. International Artist, doctoral researcher and PRIMARY resident Rhiannon Slade will be working with 100 young people from Nottingham to document their hopes and aspirations for the future, collecting their stories, reflections and hopes for the city of Nottingham. The installation will be displayed in the Playhouse’s foyers during the run of The Kite Runner.

Date: Friday 26 April – Saturday 25 May
Times: From 1pm until close everyday
Venue: Nottingham Playhouse
Address: Wellington Circus, Nottingham, NG1 5AF
Booking: N/A
For further details click here